Former for seamless dress-shields



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. W. $MITH. Jr.

FORMER FOR SEAMLBSS DRESS SHIELDS. No. 892,642. x Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. W. SMITH, Jr.

FORMER FOR SEAMLESS DRESS SHIELDS.

No. 392,642. Patented Nov. 18, 1888.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

F. W. SMITH, Jr.

FORMER FOR SEAMLESS DRESS SHIELDS.

No. 392,642. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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F. W. SMITH, J1".

FORMER FOR SEAMLESS mass SHIELDS.

No. 392,642. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

N. PETERS vhowLitho m m. Walhinglnn. D C.

FRIEND XV. SMITH, JR, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLUMBIA RUBBER COMPANY, OF MASSACHUSETTS.

FORMER FOR SEAMLESS DRESS SHBELDS.

$PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,643, dated November 13, 1888. Application filed January 10, 1888 Serial No. 260,278. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, FRIEND W. SMITH, Jr., a citizen of the United States. residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairiield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fo'rmers for Seamless Dress-Shields; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has reference to a new and useful form for the manufacture of seamless dress-shields, and has for its object to produce I5 articles of this description from any suitable elastic fabric such as rubber faced with stockinet-by stretching the fabric uniformly, while at the same time a great saving of stock 13 effected in the actual cutting out of the shield-blanks and the waste material rendered recoverable as unvulcanized rubber goods.

\Vith these ends in view myinvention consistsin certain details of construction and combination of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertaius may fully understand how to make and use my device, I

0 will now describe the same in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved form; Fig. 2, a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the fabric stretched upon the form; Fig. 4, a section taken at the line 00 a of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a rear elevation showing my improved form in locked 40 position, and Figs. 6 and 7 modified constructions.

Similar letters denote like parts in all the figures.

In seamless dress-shields it is to be observed that the top edge is concaved or crescentshaped, and therefore it is essential that the stretching which produces this shape should extend in radiating lines. In the manufacturing of such shields the fabric is generally stretched over a crescent-shaped form, the

concave edge of which latter corresponds to the shape desired for the top of the shield, and I have in my present improvement made use of such a form, but have provided certain mechanical means for stretching the fabric uniformly and without distortion, so that the lat ter may be shaped to said form preparatory to vulcanization.

In the drawings, A is the form, the top edge of which is coneaved, the extremities of said edge being provided with graspingpoints B. As it is obvious that the greatest degree of stretching must be at the center of the shield, or, in other words, at the lowest point of the curve, and as the degree of stretching dc creases uniformly toward the ends of the curve, I have provided slots C in the form A as guides for the stretching devices, which slots are coincident wit-h lines which radiate from different points along the concave edge of said form.

D is a stretching-plate pivoted to the form, as seen at E, and J K are suitable handles extending from the plate and form,respectively. Within this plate are slots F, corresponding in number to the slots 0, but extending at an angle across the path of the latter.

G are stretchers which extend through the various corresponding slots, C F, and are secured. therein in any ordinary manner, as by heads H. The sides of' these slots are parallel, and the stretchers in their normal assembled position are located as shown at Figs. 1 and 2. Projecting from each side of these stretchers are fastening-pins or grasping-points I, by means of which the fabric may be secured to the stretchers. The inclination of the slots F with respect to the slots 0 is such that when the stretchingplate is swung in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 1 and 2 the 0 upper walls of the slots F will act as cams or wedges to force the stretchers down within the slots C, thereby effecting synchronous and radial movement to said stretchers. On the reverse movement of said stretching-plate the 5 lower walls of said slots F will cam or wedge the stretchers upward along the slots 0 to normal position. The incline of the slots F with respect to each other is immaterial, since it is only necessary that the walls of these slots [00 should actuate the stretchers in the desired line of movement, and therefore it will be ob- Vious that shorter slots having a steeper pitch with respect to the slots 0 would effect a like movement of the stretchers, it being necessary only in this connection that cam or wedge surfaces should be operated by the swinging of the stretching-plate to drive the stretchers in the desired lines of movement, whether said lines are perpendicular to tangents to the concave edge of the form A, 01' whether they iu tersect said edge at different and varying angles. As far as the slots 0 are concerned with respect to their relative position both to each other and to the concave edge of the form A, it makes no difference with the actual and prac tical operation of the stretchers whether said slots are parallel or inclined toward each other, and I have illustrated said slots as inclined to ward each other merely for the reason that the operation of the stretchers in diverging lines insures the most uniform stretching of the fabric. The gist of my invention in respect to these slots 0 F and the stretchers rests in the broad idea of one series of slots adapted to act as guides to the movement of the stretchers, and a second series of slots which perform the f unction of cams or wedges to force said stretchers throughout their lines of movement.

There are several ways in which the stretching-plate may be operated so as to throw the canrslots F into action. For instance, I have shown at Fig. 6 the stretching-plate having the cam-slots so arranged as to force the stretchers throughout theirlincs of movement by pulling down said plate in a straight line, while at Fig.7 I have illustrated two stretching-plates, each having the cam-slots and adapted to be reciprocatea laterally, in connection with guideways a, on opposite sides of the form A. In thislast-mentl0ned construction the stretching-plate might be made in a single piece; but for conveniencein manipulation it has been found more desirable to use the two sections.

In order to utilize my improvement for the manufacture of seamless dressshields from elastic matrialsuch as the fabric known as *stockinet-faced rubber -sai d fabric is placed over the form and the flaps fastened to the stretching-pins at each side of the device. The handles J K are now brought together, so as to throw the stretchers downward, as before described, thereby presenting the appearance shown at Fig. 3. The device with the fabric stretched thereon is then placed in any suitable vulcanizer, and when the process of vulcanization is complete said fabric is automatically stripped from the stretching-pins by simwill throw them within the recesses and secu rely lock them as against displacement.

I claim as my invention- 1. An improved former for the manufacture of dress-shields, consisting of a form having a concave upper edge terminating in lateral grasping'points and having guide-slots whereby the line of stretching is determined, in combination with a stretching-plate having therein cam slots which cross said guide'slots at an angle, and stretchers extendingthrough said guide and cam slots and having projecting therefrom grasping-points, substantially as set forth.

2. In a former for seamless dressshields, the (ZOlIlblDtLhiOll of a form to which the shield is shaped having guideways extending in the direction of the lines of stretching, stretchers within said guideways, and a stretching-plate movable across said form and having cam-slots engaging said stretchers throughout the guideways, substantially as shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEND \V. SMITH, .IR. Vi tncsses:

S. H. HUBBARD, S. S. WILLIAMsON. 

